The Sun
by airbear23
Summary: postTwilight TATE a friend helps Tony through his grief.


Title: The Sun

By: Dreamer20715

Category: TATE, Angst/Tragedy/Romance

Disclaimer: Not mine, cause if they were, Kate would still be alive and Ziva would be nowhere to be found. Also, Dido's, "See The Sun," was used without permission.

Author's Note: This is a remake of my story, "See The Sun," for Stargate. I altered it to fit the NCIS universe. So don't worry, I'm not plagiarizing.

Spoilers: Anything up to and including "Twilight."

Summary: Abby helps a devastated Tony through a hard time.

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Abby stood outside the door to Tony's apartment. It had been over a month since Kate's funeral and no one had seen him since that painful day. Gibbs, Ducky, McGee, and Abby had tried calling him so many times they lost count. Director Morrow told them that he had given Tony an open-ended leave of absence.

Eventually, Abby got fed-up with the unanswered doors and phone calls. They were all hurting but it was about time to start trying to move on with their lives. She was determined not to leave until she got Tony to talk to her.

Knocking on the door, Abby yelled, "Tony, I know you're in there. Let me in." She waited for a minute, but got no answer. Frustrated, she tried the door and found it unlocked.

Abby opened the door and stepped inside. The first thing she noticed was how dark it was. Turning on the hall light, Abby yelled again, "Tony?" As she moved into the living room, she spotted him sitting slumped down in a chair in the corner. All the shades were drawn, shrouding the room in darkness. Abby whispered, "Tony…"

"Go away, Abby," he interrupted, his voice haunted…empty.

I'm coming round to open the blinds 

_You can't hide here any longer_

_My God you need to rinse those puffy eyes_

_You can't lie still any longer_

Abby was startled for a second. Tony never spoke to her like that, but she recovered quickly. Striding over to the windows, she opened all the blinds, letting in the sunlight. Turning around, Abby was stunned by Tony's appearance.

His eyes were red and swollen and it looked like he hadn't shaved in days. His clothes were rumpled and his gaze held a tremendous amount of pain.

"Abby! Please just leave me alone," Tony begged as he squinted in the bright light.

"Sorry, Tony. No can do. I'm not leaving until we get you straightened out," Abby countered.

Kneeling in front of him, Abby looked him in the eyes and whispered, "I know it hurts Tony. We all miss her…she was my best friend. But it's time to start moving on. Let us help. I know it's hard, but you've got me, Ducky, McGee, and even Gibbs to lean on," Abby pleaded.

Yes, they'll ask you where you've been 

_And you'll have to tell them again and again_

_And you probably don't want to hear tomorrow's another day_

_But I promise you you'll see the sun again_

_And you're asking me why pain's the only way to happiness_

_And I promise you you'll see the sun again_

"Abby, it hurts so much. I loved her and she was killed right in front of my eyes. I can still feel her blood on my face. I was supposed to have her back, for crying out loud!" Tony cried. "We were so happy…"

"Tony, if I could bring her back for you, I would. All I can tell you is that one day it won't hurt so much," Abby responded. "For now, you've got all of us…we'll get through it together, okay?"

"What do I tell them though, Abby? They're gonna want to know why I've been so upset. You were the only one who knew that Kate and I were dating and you know Gibbs is gonna be pissed because we broke Rule #12," Tony stated.

"Tony, you know they'll understand. And Gibbs isn't gonna be mad 'cause you two kept it out of the office. Besides, they're your friends and they will be here for you no matter what."

Tony nodded vaguely and Abby decided it was time to get him out of the house, despite her aversion to sunlight. Lately though, she'd been going outside more because it made her feel closer to Kate. Abby gave Tony her hand, pulled him up, and gave him a hug.

C'mon take my hand 

_We're going for a walk, I know you can_

_You can wear anything, as long as it's not black_

Please don't mourn forever, she's not coming back 

"All right," Abby declared, "here's what we're gonna do. You're going to go get cleaned up and change clothes, and then we're going to take a walk. It's a beautiful day."

"Abby…" Tony started to object.

Cutting him off, Abby said, "Tony, I'm not expecting you to start magically feeling better. You just can't mourn here forever."

Tony acquiesced and went to clean up and change clothes.

Meanwhile, Abby puttered around Tony's apartment, observing with a sad smile the little bits of Kate mixed in with Tony's stuff. Kate's favorite afghan sat on the back of the sofa, some of her CD's were sitting next to the stereo, and on the bookshelf some books that were definitely not Tony's. All patiently waiting for an owner who was never going to use them again.

As she was looking at said books, Abby's eye caught on a picture frame sitting on one of the shelves.

Picking it up, she realized it was a picture of Kate and Tony. They were on a blanket under a tree. Tony was sitting with his back against the tree, stretched out and Kate was laying with her head in Tony's lap, asleep. Tony was stroking her hair, looking for all the world like a man who was hopelessly in love.

Abby smiled softly, while at the same time feeling a tear roll down her cheek. She missed Kate so much.

"That was taken about 3 weeks before she…before she died," Tony croaked.

Startled, Abby whirled around. Tony was standing a little bit behind her, a wistful smile on his face.

"It was right before I got the plague. We had Sunday off, so I took her on a picnic in Rock Creek Park. We sat there for the longest time, just talking and then she fell asleep. A passerby took the picture and gave me the memory card; said he was a sucker for romance and that it was so nice to see two people so completely in love."

Even though it was obviously a very happy memory, there was a steady stream of tears running down his cheeks.

Abby set the photo back on the shelf and walked over to Tony and wrapped him in another hug. They stayed like that for a bit and eventually Abby took his hand and led him out of the apartment.

And yes they'll ask you where you've been 

_And you'll have to tell them again and again_

_And you probably don't want to hear tomorrow's another day_

_But I promise you you'll see the sun again_

_And you're asking me why pain's the only way to happiness_

And I promise you you'll see the sun again 

They walked silently, hand in hand for awhile, each lost in their own memories of a woman who had so greatly influenced their lives.

The silence was broken when Tony said quietly, "Sometimes I wonder if it would have been better if I'd never loved her."

Do you remember telling me you'd found the sweetest thing of all 

_You said one day of this was worth dying for_

_So be thankful you knew her at all_

But it's no more 

"No, Tony. You were both better off having loved each other," Abby urged. "Look at it this way; she died happy and content with her life. You made her so happy…she told me so. Be thankful for the time you had with her."

Tony stopped walking and looked at his feet. He struggled for a minute to organize his thoughts.

"I know you're right, Abby. It's just…that day under the tree we made so many plans for our future. We wanted to get married, have kids, a house…everything we needed to grow old together," Tony said, his tone anguished, tears once again rolling down his face. "I'd already bought her an engagement ring. I was just waiting for the right moment to propose to her."

Abby didn't know what to say, so she just pulled him into another hug and let him cry. After a few minutes, Tony had recovered the majority of his composure and they pulled apart.

"The only thing I can tell you Tony, is that one day it won't hurt so bad or seem so bleak. But until then, remember that you have friends who love you and who are always available to lean on."

Taking his hand, they continued walking.

_I promise you you'll see the sun again._

The End


End file.
